first winner

Benny Havens got Laurel Park’s fall meet off to a rousing start, swinging to the lead on the far turn and fending off Mister Frank’s Way the length of the stretch to give trainer Anthony Aguirre Jr. his first career win in the first race on Friday’s opening day program. Owned by the fledgling trainer […]

Douglas Whyte is a titan of Hong Kong racing so it is perhaps fitting that a horse named for the Greek god Adonis should go down in the record books as the former riding great’s first winner as a trainer. “It’s phenomenal. It’s fantastic!” Whyte said after the 6-year-old had chosen the most opportune moment […]

Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen’s Wrecking Crew made his career debut a winning one at Del Mar on Saturday with a facile victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight, becoming the first winner for his sire, Sky Kingdom. An $875,000 graduate from the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park sale in March where he was sold by Wavertree […]

Apprentice jockey Miguel Arroyo notched his first career victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park, scoring aboard Stay Again ($17) in Race 4. Stay Again, who benefited from a ground-saving trip under the 10-pound apprentice before rallying in the stretch to prevail by two lengths, was the 13th mount for Arroyo, who rode in his first race […]

Taylor Made Stallions’ Daddy Long Legs was represented by his first North American winner on Saturday when Montauk Daddy won a maiden special weight at Belmont Park. Ridden by Jose Lezcano for trainer Linda Rice, Montauk Daddy shot to the front shortly after the start of the six-furlong turf test. He shrugged off early pace […]

Trainer Wesley Ward sent out yet another stellar looking 2-year-old on Saturday as Breeze Easy’s Karak took the Belmont Park opener over the Widener turf course, providing Karakontie his first victory as a stallion. Ward plans on sending Karak to the Group 2, $128,000 Norfolk at Royal Ascot. Ward and Breeze Easy teamed up to […]

Spendthrift Farm freshman sire Wicked Strong was represented by his first winner in the opener Sunday at Keeneland when his two-year-old filly Secretly Wicked won on debut in a $60,000 Maiden Special Weight race. Owned and trained by Jack Hancock, the chestnut filly overhauled the pacesetter on the turn and proved best in the stretch […]

Cherie DeVaux saddled the first winner of her training career at Gulfstream Park Friday, visiting the winner’s circle with Traveling ($25.80) after Race 6, a mile turf race for $50,000 maiden claimers. Traveling, a 3-year-old son of Tale of the Cat who had run three prior races, was DeVaux’s 29th starter. “I’m very excited. It […]

Jockey David Egan, England’s champion apprentice of 2017, registered his first North American victory when Mohan Stable’s Bobby G galloped to a 5 ½-length win in Friday’s fourth race at Laurel Park. Making his 12th career start and first since being claimed for $5,000 off a 13 ½-length win Feb. 2 by trainer Jose Corrales, […]

Multi-cultural firsts were the order of the day Saturday at Santa Anita. Posting their first victories at The Great Race Place were jockeys Andrea Atzeni, Jean Diaz Jr. and Shane Foley. The 27-year-old Atzeni, a native of the Mediterranean island Sardinia, won the Grade III Thunder Road Stakes for trainer Simon Callaghan on True Valour […]